Man's Grin.

A squirrel runs up a tree, a scattering of tiny claws on bark. Another one closely follows. Ah, a chase is what is happening here. The mind makes a little story, there must be mating involved, maybe a fight. Maybe, that squirrel is a child and there is play. Do squirrels play? 

The edges of the mouth, their familiar patters, the lips stretch across the front, curl up at the ends. Cheeks seem to have less room now, and in combination with eye muscles tightening, they are both lifted and pushed out. The face of innocence, for the mind allowed itself to wander to a dimension of childlike wonder. We could turn this into a nature lesson, gain understanding about how squires work, after all my phone is in my pocket and google is pretty efficient. However, no, this moment will stay just like this. Plus, I don’t care that much.

“Uh, I can’t do it, it’s broken.” Screams a child doing in her mind what she was told.

“Sweetheart, just push down,” As dad lifts his own foot and pushes on the top peddle.

(laughter) for even kids get embarrassed.

The brow contracts, the wrinkles of familiar expression become prominent once again. The eyes now widen, the lines at the corner of the mouth not as pronounced, for this smile is driven by something more than cute, this smile is driven by the feeling one gets when their extension of self, does something an older girl would do and to feel that realization of independence. It is both beautiful and sad, and this is why this smile wants to be seen, these eyes want to witness. As the fireworks of excitement go off in the head. For I can only fathom the puppy mind expanding as the skill set is being reinforced, Push the pedal down like this, and you move.
“Hey bud.” A fist bump ensues.

The other, stops, faces, “Your family good?”

Gary (above) taking a fist bump class. 

“Yea, yea, really blessed.”

“Your daughter good?”

“Yea, that’s nice thank you. She’s so great.”

“Ah kids are awesome.” This said as it appears the casual chat among the banging of the weights and a stereo system in the gym of a familiar radio pop song play in the quiet places of conversation has stalled.

Lips pursed together, pulled in, not pushed. One eye brown raises, to indicate that the stress of getting here, is just the beginning of the day. Still, the creases at the edge of the mouth, fold in their familiar positions, like a shoe’s wear, indicating a twist of a foot, a regular pattern. The subtleties here mean something else, something more casual. Yet, say so much about communication between the two adult primates.

As my realization of time kicks in and the camera’s angle swirls around the encounter, this last facial expression is analyzed. One male shows his submission to the other by chatting first. The second, he initiated the contact and ensured it happened. The slight smile from one male to the other indicated a coolness between the two, no aggression, but unspoken support. Dedication even though both are in the gym for physical prowess, one is more dominant, through an underlying confidence, while the second male struggles to maintain eye contact.

The more bleak, the more smiles, yet, their structure, the intent behind them, it means something different. Instead of giving something to him or others. A smile from a less-confident male can also take. Admiration, familiarity by association, then being seen by females as a probable, social mate.
 For a male with a family, the creasing of the cheeks, the familiar lines are all business. To smile to present good things, not just in the moment, but an entire lifestyle. Nobody has ideas of driving a Ferrari with a grimace. No, they want a large grin, light movements, show me how good things are, for that is the measure of success. The man with a beautiful woman too has to smile to sell us, but why, and for who?

A smile of authenticity like with the squirrels or the daughter on her first bike, these expressions are authentic, worth more than money. These smiles are the ones people deserve to see, for that level of investment in people means love, it means truly giving of self and problems away and accepting others and their beauty.

Smile today, for you, not for anybody else. Though an authentic smile can really brighten the place up.  

Avoid pitfalls, like obsession of superficial self, a body image, per se. Castle-Broken: When appearances are everything, my book on Body Image Disorders, available here.